


Melodies of the Heart

by SakiaLumei



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A relationship founded on solid trust, Ar tonelico AU, F/M, Journeys into the subconscious, Let me break down what that means:, Magic Singing, Marichat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-05 21:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21215435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakiaLumei/pseuds/SakiaLumei
Summary: Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng have been missing for over two weeks. When Marinette realizes that she cannot rely on her childhood friend Adrien any longer, a masked mysterious stranger named Chat Noir comes to offer his assistance. As all Vanguard-Reyvateil pairs, if they want to succeed and grow stronger, then they must be willing to open their hearts and harmonize them together. Ar Tonelico AU





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there ML, fandom. Not my first fic but def my first ML fic. There I was making canonverse fics but then I didn't like it so, let's do an AU!
> 
> Ar Tonelico is a JRPG where a race of women named Reyvateils have the ability to sing and craft Song Magic. There's a lot of lore and conlang, of which is featured in the fic. I'll do my best to explain and translate without dumping exposition.
> 
> Sol Orior is the region that this will take place it; it is not in the Ar Tonelico verse. I haven't chosen a name or administrator for the Fourth Tower yet (Sol Orior's Tower) but all in time :D

“Wait! Let go of me!” Her feet kept tripping up, threatening to step on her own red skirts as they were dragged against the stone ground. Armored hands clenched around her thin arms, offering her zero chance to escape from their grasp. “Wait, I said!” They opened the gate before her. With one last shred of energy, she turned back towards the manor estate and gave out one final cry for help. “Adrien!”

Her bright blue eyes blinked when she caught a glance at one of the second-story windows. Though veiled by curtains, there was no mistaking his feathered blond hair and regal stature. “ADRIEN!”

Marinette found herself shoved out onto the street, tripping on the pavement, and landing on her arms with a yelp in pain. The iron gate shut behind her, its sound like thunder. The small scraps on her hands, she could deal with, but the fact that she couldn’t even see Adrien face-to-face anymore cut her like a blade to the heart. She sniffled, holding back the tears as she picked herself off of the ground, patting down her red skirts and white furisode sleeves. After checking that her two buns were still intact, as well as her hair piece, she began the walk of defeat back to the empty bakery.

Just a few weeks ago, it was carrying its reputation as the best bakery in the city of Reine-Abeille. Her father always had just the right recipes for any bread, cake, and pastry in this region of Ar Ciel and her mother welcomed every guest that walked through that door, making them feel at home. In a time now lost to them, back when Marinette accompanied her parents to deliver pastries to the Reine-Abeille manor, she brought her own sense of home to Adrien and Chloe.

Speaking of which, Chloe was probably the reason that Adrien couldn’t give an old friend the time of day. It would be her sixteenth birthday in just a few short days and ever since they were kids, Chloe had her sights set on Adrien in declaring him her partner.

Reyvateils like Chloe and Marinette needed partners if they ever wished to develop Song Magic. As the daughter of the mayor of Reine-Abeille, Chloe was sure to get whatever she wanted, including any partner that she wished for.

Marinette sulked to the pantry, seeing if she could will herself to eat something amidst her despair.

_Marinette, sweetie._ Her mother’s words spoke within her mind. _Isn’t it about time that you’ve found a partner as well? _

She paused as she found the wheels of cheese. “I don’t need a partner,” she grumbled, grasping at the wheel to rip off pieces. “I don’t need useless city guards.” She grabbed a clean cloth, tossing cheese and bread slices in it. “I’ll just do it myself.” Then, she tied the cloth into a neat sack and left the bakery behind. Her parents were on their way to Vernier, another city in the Sol Orior region. The trip was treacherous, its road filled with monsters and machines of all kinds.

Marinette was only one Reyvateil with only one piece of Song Magic. And yet, her feet kept walking further and further away from the city, her hands clutching the sack tightly. The hair on the back of her neck stood up straight when she realized the gravitas of what she was about to do.

“But if I don’t go,” she told herself, nearing the forest, “then no one will.” Just the thought of her parents, alone and afraid, was enough to push herself to enter.


	2. Sefanl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes: Ar Tonelico has a tendency to get kinda fanservice-y and have a lot of innuendos. I want to get it out there that I don't intend on doing that lmao I don't roll like that
> 
> However, I do intend to treat Diving and Partnerships in the same weight that they do in the game. 
> 
> With that said, here's the first proper chapter!

Marinette wandered the forest for what seemed like hours to her. Her feet were already tired and she realized that she may not have packed enough food for a few days. Though, she was stubborn, even if every ten paces, branches tugged at her sleeves and skirts, and the rustlings in the bushes gave her a fright.

Needing to rest, she pressed her back against a tree and sunk to the forest floor with a soft groan of fatigue. A defeated sigh escaped her lips and she hugged her knees close to her chest. “I’m so clumsy. I really didn’t think this through.” Even if she made it to Vernier, there was no guarantee that her parents were there. Even worse, if they were somewhere in this forest, then she would have to comb through the entire thing. Just the thought of it brought tears of frustration to her eyes.

_What am I supposed to do?_

Before she could wallow in her sadness any longer, Marinette heard a distinct “plop” sound. “Huh?” Then another, then another. From the canopy of the trees, a large yellow blob jumped down, then another, until there were a group of four. “Poms!” Ignoring her foul mood, she sprang into action, jumping into a stand. Needing to hop about without arms or legs, she figured that she would have no problem casting her Song Magic.

“Okay. Here it goes!” They hopped closer. Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing her voice to sing. As she parted her pink lips, her voice altered to one of magic, one that carried the echo of the divine.

“_Wee paks wa hymme rre enne_…” One could never lie in singing Hymmnos lyrics, and Marinette was no different. Her mild anxiety was sung through her words, but she prayed and held onto hope all of the same. “_En chsee_—yaaah!” Before she could transform her words into physical magic, one pom had already pounced on her, interrupting her singing. Their body slams were not especially terrible in one blow, but Marinette knew that with the group of them, it would not take them long to overwhelm her.

“Get away from me!” she cried, swatting them away the best that she could. Buying just enough time to run, she dashed away from the Poms as fast as her battered feet could carry her. She could still hear the loud “plops” as they hopped towards her, and her aching feet couldn’t keep running much longer. Stopping behind a tree, she panted and hunched over, her hands on the trunk. Still catching her breath, she glanced over her shoulder to see that the Poms had caught up. “R-Really?!” she cried in frustration as her back pressed against the tree. “Ugh… I’m so stupid,” she said to herself quietly. “To think that I could do this on my own.” She winced, preparing to feel the pain. “I’m so sorry—”

“Hyaah!” She heard the sound of a Pom’s rubbered flesh being rendered. “For a bunch of cute looking monsters, you sure don’t know how to treat a lady.” A voice, male and young at that. She dared to pry open one eye and upon seeing who was there, she blinked and opened both with a soft gasp. Though she did not recognize him, his appearance was enough to catch her off guard.

His entire outfit, from his sleeveless shirt, gauntlets, light armor, and boots was completely black, outlined with a deep green trim. He wore a mask over his eyes, transforming them into green cat-like eyes. Atop his head was a mop of wild and feathery blond hair, in addition to cat ears. Marinette had to gawk for a moment, unsure what to make of the young man’s appearance. In his hands were two silver sabers that he dual-wielded; they had machine like designs on their hilts and blades.

“Greetings, My Lady,” he said, his voice brimmed with confidence. “Seems that you’re in quite the pickle.”

“Wh-who are you?”

The remaining Poms made their presence known by hopping towards them, prepared to pounce. “Uh-oh, seems like we gotta make this quick.” He placed himself in between Marinette and the Poms, twirling his sabers in preparation. It was now that she noticed he also wore a belt around his waist that gave the false appearance of a tail. _He’s really going for the cat imagery, isn’t he? _“My Lady?”

“Huh?”

“Are you a Reyvateil? Can you sing?”

“O-Oh. Um. Yeah.” She nodded, still unsure if she could trust this young man.

“With your permission, of course.” He glanced back towards her. “Would you grace me with your song?”

For the first time in a while, Marinette managed a smile of hope. Something about his eyes and voice brought her a sense of protection and comfort, at least enough to last for the rest of this battle. “Yes!” she declared.

Marinette clasped her hands together and summoned her purest feelings from her heart. Hope, valor, bravery, all of these she wanted in her song.

“_Was yea ra hymme rre enne…” I very much want to sing this prayer “En chsee clyncye pawr.” And transform into pure strength. _

As she sung, a faint aura of red spread from her fingertips to the rest of her body. Above her, a small flame formed. Her Song Magic created a phantom orchestra, playing music to accompany her voice. Like her mother’s Song Magic, her voice was accompanied by steady drums and melodic strings. An erhu played alongside Marinette’s voice, and as she gained confidence in her singing, the tempo sped up.

“Perfect, My Lady!” He kicked away one Pom and then turned to swipe at another with his blades, keeping them away from her.

_“Tanta” I dance. “Hymme” I sing. “Khal yor.” To protect you. “Firle mea hynne!” Feel my voice!_

What was just a small flame moments before transformed itself to a roaring sphere of fire. Her song swelled into its climax, just as he jumped back towards her. He crossed his sabers, utilizing them as shields as he glanced back. The time was now. Marinette finished her song and cast bolts of fire from the sphere, hitting each Pom. They were incinerated on contact, burning up fast.

Marinette’s arms fell to her sides and she panted softly, the adrenaline rush of her song dying down. The mystery man’s blades shortened akin to daggers that he placed in the sheathes on his belt.

“Wow…” He turned to her, his hands on his hips. “I had a feeling that you’d have a beautiful voice, but I never imagined how true that would be.”

Marinette could feel heat rising to her cheeks, but she crossed her arms and gave a “pfft.” “Please, I bet you say that to all of the Reyvateils you rescue in the forest. Ah, speaking of which. Why _are_ you out here?” Then she shook her head. “N-Not that I don’t appreciate it!”

“It’s alright. Actually, I’m here for you, Marinette.” He took her hand, and though his own was covered by leather and armor, it still felt gentle. “You may call me Chat Noir.” He placed a kiss on her hand.

“Ah!” She pulled her hand back. “Ah, uh, thank you… Chat Noir.” The name, though fitting his appearance, was strange all the same. “What do you mean you’re here for me?”

“A little kitty told me that you were looking for your parents. You really couldn’t get any help?”

“No.” She frowned and crossed her arms. “The guards said that they wouldn’t come out here or go to Vernier. And then I tried to reach out to an old friend…” Her tone saddened as she cast her gaze down. “But they didn’t even hear me out.” The reflection suddenly made her feel very lonely, having no one to rely on. Or at the very least, no one cared about her or her family enough to lend out a helping hand.

Chat Noir broke the silence, tipping her chin up. “Cheer up, My Lady. I heard you out and I want to help you.” _He’s touchy, isn’t he?_ She took a mini step back. “That is, if you don’t mind me being your partner.” Marinette tensed. “Ah, just until we find your parents.”

“S-Still,” she said, twiddling her thumbs. A Reyvateil taking on a Vanguard partner was always a big deal, never to be made lightly. Even Chloe was taking the opportunity to hold a big celebration in declaring Adrien her partner.

Adrien.

Another wave of sadness passed through Marinette. There was once upon a time where Marinette had secretly wished she could have had Adrien as partner, but Chloe had “called dibs” very early on. There was no one else she felt like she could trust more than him to handle the delicacies of partnership. Well, Adrien was gone and he proved that she couldn’t count on him any longer. On the other hand was Chat Noir, an obviously very skilled swordsman even though he had little sense of personal space.

If they found their parents, would they approve of her temporarily taking a Vanguard for their sake? It didn’t sit very well with her just yet. But, he so far was the best and only choice in rescuing her parents. Adrien be damned.

“…Just until we find my parents?” she asked again, voice meek.

Chat Noir placed his hand on his chest, giving a solid nod. “Then, I will be out of your hair.”

Marinette swallowed thickly and stood her ground, offering her hand. “Okay. Temporary partners.” Though she offered a handshake, Chat Noir instead offered a fist. “O-Oh.” She also made a fist and they gave each other a bump.

“I’m so honored to be your Vanguard, My Lady!” he said, giving her a deep bow. “Come on. I think the next town is bound to have a Dive Shop.”

“Next town, that sounds nice—wait, Dive Shop?!”

* * *

“Aaadrikins!” Chloe’s voice shrilled and echoed throughout the vast hallways of the manor. Upon every servant she came across, she yelled, “Have you seen Adrikins?! No? Well go find him! Ugh. Getting good help around here is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

“Lady Chloe!” She turned around and saw her handmaiden Sabrina rushing towards her. “Lady Chloe…” When she came to a stop, she panted, her hands on her knees.

“What is it? Have you found Adrien?”

“N-No…” She winced. “It’s worse. Lord Agreste said that they hadn’t seen Adrien since yesterday. He’s he’s—”

And from the other rooms, servants swore they could hear the booming “MISSING!?” even from behind closed doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title: Sefanl means Forest <3


	3. Lurrea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're still off to short and humble beginnings, but I thank everyone who's kudo'd so far and reading. We're gonna get to the juicy stuff such as Diving soon (and what is that?) You'll see~

In just the few short hours of trekking through the forest, Marinette only knew three things about Chat Noir. One, he was a very formidable swordsman, wielding his two swords with relative ease. He could shorten them to short swords and use quick swipes, revert them back to long swords and cross them for shields, and then combine them into one big great sword able to fell enemies in one swoop. Second, he was quite the flirt. She was flustered at first, having never been flirted with before, but when he referred her exclusively as “My Lady” and gave her goofy grins and smiles, it grew past its novelty fast. Third, he enjoyed cat puns to an extent that nearly made her tear her hair out.

“I’d call that a _purr_-fect battle, My Lady,” he said, twirling his short swords back into their sheaths. He tossed his one-shouldered cape back as he faced her, always being so dramatic.

“_Yes_,” she conceded. Marinette didn’t know what she was more exhausted with: the multiple swarms of Poms they came across or Chat’s personality. She slumped over, sighing out and then taking a measured breath. A sudden wave of dizziness overcame her, starting at her head. She let out a small groan, feeling her center of balance betraying her.

“Hey.” Chat Noir’s hands found her shoulders and held her up before she could lose her footing. “Are you alright?”

“Um…” She waited a moment to let the feeling pass before standing up straight. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” When she lifted her head, her eyes met with Chat Noir’s. Where she expected to find confident and reassuring cat eyes, she instead saw his eyes furrowed in concern. His grip on her shoulders, while not uncomfortable, definitely felt tight.

“I’m sorry, My Lady. Perhaps it’s my fault,” he said, his grip slacking. “For asking you to sing in all of those battles.” Marinette hadn’t considered that. Before today, she scarcely ever used her Song Magic living within the protected city and working in her parents’ bakery. No wonder she suddenly felt so light-headed. Chat Noir tilted his head up, glancing at the sky and at his surroundings. “It’ll be dark soon and more fearsome monsters will show up. We have to leave the forest as soon as possible.”

“Will we make it if we keep walking?”

“If I can keep an eye out, then I’ll make sure that we won’t run into anymore Poms.” He dropped his hand to reach for hers. “Do you trust me?”

Marinette’s impulse was to answer “no” since they had just barely met. “W-Why?”

“We’re going to go through the darker parts to stay out of sight,”

“But, we can’t see in there!” Not since they were using the sun’s rays that peeked through the canopy of the forest to see where they were going.

“You can’t, but I can.” He tapped his temple. “This mask allows me to see in the dark. You know, like a cat!” Again, with the cat.

“You sure like cats.” She followed him as he held her hand, venturing off the main road.

“Do you not like cats?”

“Hm? No, I think they’re cute.” Marinette regretted the words as soon as she said them, for in the next moment, Chat glanced over his shoulder with another flirty smirk. “H-hey! I meant a real cat!”

“You _wound_ me with your words!” He faked a sniffle. Before she could comment on it, her foot hit itself against a tree branch and the distance between herself and the ground quickly began to shorten. A brief yelp escaped her and she winced to brace herself. Chat Noir’s arm caught her midsection and she grunted out a soft “oof” as he helped her regain balance. “My apologies, My Lady. I should’ve warned you about the branch.”

“It’s fine,” she said, standing on her own. “You know, Chat, you don’t have to call me My Lady.” She took a small step back away from his touch. “I’m not rich or high-class or anything. You can just call me Marinette.” She would feel a lot better that way, she thought.

In the shadows of the trees, trying to make out his expression or body language proved itself difficult; she only had the tone of his voice to go off of and it lost a bit of its confidence. “…Perhaps when I’ve deserved it, My Lady,” he said, finding her hand to lead her through the dark again. Marinette’s brows furrowed in confusion and her lips parted, but she had no words. All she could do was follow him and ponder to herself what he meant by that.

There was a fourth thing about Chat Noir that Marinette knew: he was a complete mystery. He beckoned so many questions. Where did he learn to fight like that? Why did he come to help her? Why did he need a mask?

Perhaps the most frightening and anxiety-inducing question was: what does he want from me? Feeling only his tight grip on her hand, Marinette squinted and tried to find his figure in the darkness. She asked herself what she had that he could take advantage of. Her parents were bakers with humble money, but they had some nonetheless. Marinette herself was just a Third Generation Reyvateil like her mother before her, born naturally from the union of her parents. She was the opposite of a Pureblooded Reyvateil like Chloe, whose genetic superiority would definitely make her Song Magic much more powerful.

_I think the next town is bound to have a Dive Shop._

Marinette’s cheeks flushed at the thought. “Hey, Chat Noir?” she asked, steeling her expression and preparing to defend herself.

“Yes, My Lady?”

“You said the next town has a Dive Shop,”

“Y-Yes?”

“Why do you want to Dive?” she asked, tone accusatory. He stopped in his track and Marinette heard his nervous laughter. She crossed her arms and frowned, waiting for the shoe to drop on his true intentions.

“W-Well…” he started, “It wasn’t for me, My Lady, it was for you!”

“What do you take me for, huh?!” she said, voice raising. “That in exchange for helping my parents, I’d let you Dive and be up to no good in my subconscious?”

“No, no, no! It’s not like that, My Lady. I am a gentleman and never had any intention to change disposition inside your mind.” Marinette growled. “I-If you let me, that is. Only if you want, My Lady!”

“But why do you want to?”

“I simply believed it wise seeing as how we do not know what kinds of danger we’ll be finding ourselves in later.” She softened, but kept her wits about her. “And you only have one kind of Song Magic now it seems.” Slowly, his confidence returned to his tone of voice. “Don’t get me wrong, My Lady, I personally enjoy fighting fire with fire. But there could come a time where the fire won’t work.”

Unfortunately, Marinette could not argue with that logic. However, she kept playing a nightmare scenario in her head where she would find her rescued parents but see clearly that she had gained Song Magic and that they would be ashamed. She had to ask herself if that would actually happen.

_All I care about is that you do it with someone you trust completely. _

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? That Marinette could not trust Chat Noir completely.

“…I know you’re right,” she said, her voice quiet. “But, let’s say that we Dive. There’s still a chance that it wouldn’t work because I don’t know you well enough.”

Chat Noir was silent for a moment, only sighing as he thought about what to say next. “You’re also right,” he said, tone sober. “It’d be pretty embarrassing if your subconscious kicked me out pretty quickly.” He pulled on her hand once more, continuing their walk. “We’re almost to the end, My Lady. Can you keep going?”

“Yes,”

“Good. Why don’t we do this,” he said, and at this moment, Marinette could peer ahead and see the light of the sunset at the end of the darkness. “We’ll rest up at the inn and you regain your strength. Before we attempt to Dive, we’ll talk.” She tilted her head, listening to him. “Talk until you feel comfortable enough for the Dive to work.”

Marinette had to think on it for a bit, the task easier now that she could see what was in front of her again. Chat Noir’s figure outlined in the orange and pink colors of the sunset and once again, she could see him. He was only a few inches taller and his body was more of a lean muscle. From behind, she could make out all of the thick locks and strands that made his wild blond hair and it reminded her briefly of an old friend.

_Except, Adrien would never dress up as a crazy cat guy…_ She frowned, tasting bitter sweetness on her tongue. _He also wouldn’t go out of his way to come help me find my parents…_

She had to snap out of her thoughts; Chat Noir was awaiting an answer. “That sounds like… it should work,” she said as they came to a stop once out of the forest. He turned to her, his lips curling into a smile as his green eyes beamed. He didn’t break eye contact, causing Marinette to do it for him. “We’re out of the forest,” she said, glancing at their hands. “Y-You can let go of my hand now.”

“Oh.” He chuckled, letting go. “Of course.” He took the moment to survey the area, so did Marinette. She had never left the safety of Reine-Abeille nor had ever had the chance to see what Sol Orior looked like out of the central city. Sol Orior, like its sister regions, was composed of floating manmade isles that wandered amongst the clouds and over the Sea of Death. No one knew what lied below the machinations of their homes and perhaps it was better left that way. Reine-Abeille was the largest city and Sol Orior’s capital; from within its city’s walls, one could never guess that the edge of the world was beyond them.

Though far from the edge, Marinette thought about how easy it would be to run and fall off. Then she craned her neck and looked over her shoulder. Rising beyond the heavens and fading into the atmosphere of space was the Fourth Tower, the monument that enabled Reyvateils like herself the ability to manifest Song Magic. No matter where she was, the tower would always be visible, always foreboding in its majesty.

“This way, My Lady,” said Chat Noir, breaking her out of thought. The next town was in sight, just beyond the valley between the hills of the forest.

When they arrived, it was nighttime, but the small city was still aflame with lights. It was modest and humble, consisting mostly of small houses and outdoor stalls for food and merchandise. The people were friendly and welcoming, matching with the descriptions given to her by her frequently traveling parents. The city’s sign at the entrance read in both Common script and Hymmnos: “Belle Calvet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lurrea: Fear

**Author's Note:**

> Questions about lore/other stuff? Feel free to comment. Thanks for checking it out.


End file.
